Uuugh. My head…

Weiss blinked several times, trying to bring her blurry vision back to normal. She could see the underside of Ruby's bed above her, and faintly heard the redhead and her sister talking somewhere near. Too near.

"You dolts…" She mumbled, waving a hand tiredly "Shut… up!"

Yang laughed loudly, much to her dismay. The heiress tried to sink her head into her pillow, half because of the pain, and half because of the sheer humiliation of her situation. Weiss Schnee was having a hungover, an accidental hungover.

A cool hand touched her forehead gently, and she narrowed her eyes at the black figure sitting on a stool beside her. Blake looked at her quietly, then recoiled her hand.

"I never thought I'd see the Schnee's heiress struggling over a hungover." The faunus said amusedly.

"This never happened." Weiss whispered angrily, then rubbed her temples "For the love of Remnant, will you two loudmouths shut up already?!"

Finally, the two sisters ceased their discussion.

"Sorry, Weiss." Ruby apologized meekly "Yang's upset because I chased after a bad gal last night. She messed with the CCT, and then she… uh, slipped away."

"That was reckless of you." Blake noted, her concern for her leader evident in her voice.

"It was way beyond reckless!" Yang corrected "Ruby, you can't just go after bad guys all by yourself! You were lucky Goodwitch helped you before we came to Beacon, and now you were lucky that invader didn't kill you."

The younger sister's head lowered in shame. She knew Yang was right, but she just couldn't have waited for backup, and letting someone commit crime without consequence was never an option for her.

"I'm sorry. Next time, I'll call you three." Ruby promised "Look at the bright side! You all got to enjoy the party!"

"Define enjoy." Blake deadpanned.

The redhead lifted an eyebrow curiously. Before she went after the stranger, she had seen Blake dancing happily with Yang and Sun. Now, she made the event sound horrible.

"Things went sour after Sun asked her for a date." Yang explained briefly "Turns out the kitty isn't willing to share her heart with anyone else."

"You are making me sound like an unfeeling heartbreaker." Blake frowned "Is it so wrong that I just want to stay friends with him?"

"Nobody's judging you." Her partner raised her hands amicably "Anyway, Ruby's got a point. Weiss never had so much fun before in her life."

The heiress lifted a closed fist threateningly, but it fell in a matter of seconds, her being too exhausted to hold the attitude.

"So, when are you and Neptune going to touch butts?" Yang asked casually.

"What do you mean- Oh. OH." Weiss glared at her blond teammate "I'm not even going to bother with a response."

Yang grinned happily. She enjoyed tormenting her teammates about their romantic lives way too much. It was like watching baby birds trying to fly for the first time; they either soared high, or crashed hard.

"We are lucky, sis. We might not have dates or boys after us, but we get to make fun of these two." She said happily.

"That's really mean, Yang. Besides, what's funny about love?" Ruby asserted with a pout.

"I have no love for Neptune." Weiss pointed out meekly "Also, get your sister out of the romance-less list. She showed up with lipstick on her cheek last night."

Ruby froze, then took step back as her three teammates fixed their sights on her. She laughed nervously, trying to play Weiss' phrase as a big misunderstanding.

"Lipstick, Ruby?" Yang inquired, not a trace of her previous joy left.

"Uh… I told you it was cherry, Weiss." The redhead said slowly "I ate them quickly, and I kinda got dirty, you know?"

"As someone who kept her faunus identity a secret for months by using a bow on my head, I have to say that's the worst excuse I've ever heard." Blake deadpanned.

"Where were you last night?" Yang insisted "You didn't lie to us about the criminal, right?"

Ruby shook her head in a panic.

"I didn't lie! There was a criminal, and she hacked the CCT! Ask General Ironwood if you don't believe me!"

"Lipstick." Yang repeated in a demanding tone.

"Uh… The woman, she kinda- You know." The youngest sister raised her hands helplessly "Kissed me, and stuff. It was a distraction so she could get away."

The other three girls shared identical blank looks. Ruby seemed to shrink where she stood, expecting each and every one of them to freak out.

To her surprise, Yang sat on Blake's bed and leaned her head back, laughing. Weiss glared at her disapprovingly, while Blake stayed impassive.

"Oh, sis, that's the oldest trick in the book. Seriously, a kiss?" The blonde wiped a tear out of her eye "You should repeat a whole semester for falling for something like that."

"You're stupid!" Ruby yelled, crossing her arms childishly "Nobody teaches us how to react to something like that here at Beacon! What was I supposed to do, beat her up?!"

"Maybe you should have kisser her back." Yang's laughter rose and she fell back on the mattress.

The leader's face became as red as her cloak, more because of her embarrassment than rage. Without another word, she turned around and stormed out of the room.

Blake sighed as she gave Weiss a defeated look.

"Why can't things ever be simple?" She asked.

"Because we have a Rose and a Xiao-Long on our team." The heiress groaned. She gritted her teeth and covered her face "Fucking hell. She won't stop laughing."

Blake realized that, for Weiss to resort to such crude language, she must have been in real pain. The faunus' eye narrowed as she turned to look at her partner.

"Yang, tone it down." She demanded "Can't you see Weiss has a headache?"

Yang smiled at her.

"Maybe she shouldn't have-"

"Shut up." Blake interrupted.

Yang's shoulders dropped. She was accustomed to being reprimanded by Weiss, and sometimes even Ruby, but Blake always put up with her. This was the first time her partner spoke to her so harshly, and it hurt more than she liked to admit.

With a sigh, the blonde got up and strapped her gauntlets to her fists. Muttering that she was going to train by herself, she exited the room, slamming the door behind her.

Lie Ren. Quiet, seems to be average in a fight. There wasn't much we could gather about him.

Cinder's eyes wandered from the Scroll on her hand to the distant first year team on their cafeteria table. Indeed, she couldn't notice anything special about the boy. He only listened to what his friends were saying, not giving much input of his own.

However, she knew appearances were deceiving. He might be the team's strongest asset, even if he didn't show it.

She looked at the Scroll and began typing.

Dangerous. Investigate further.

The next line revealed only a little more information.

Nora Valkyrie. She's a force to be reckoned with. She doesn't have a lot of skill, but she doesn't need it. Her weapon's sheer destructive force is enough to make her a threat. Regarding her person – she's unpredictable. We saw her eat a dozen pancakes, then jump around the campus, and then try to forcefully adopt a wild bunny. Basically, she's crazy.

Emerald's analysis seemed to be right. Right now, Nora was standing atop a table, swinging her hammer madly while she bellowed a tale to her teammates, whose emotions ranged from embarrassment to intrigue to indifference.

Dangerous. Do not approach her. Cinder typed.

Jaune Arc. He's a wimp.

One of Cinder's eyebrow rose. Apparently, Mercury had taken the liberty of giving his opinion on that particular subject. Still, she supposed he was correct. It was easy to see exactly what the blond boy was not a threat, though she wouldn't describe him like Mercury had.

Not dangerous. His friends are, however. Do not approach.

The next piece of information was about the Nikos girl, but Cinder didn't waste time reading it. She had already received an in-person analysis about her from her colleagues. She was already sure Pyrrha would present an obstacle to their plans, no matter how strong the rest of her team was.

Cinder turned off the Scroll, then looked at her untouched plate. It had rice, beans, meat, fried eggs- a meal she rarely had the chance to enjoy in her life, something everyone at Beacon took for granted.

I'm not hungry. She thought bitterly. And I don't have time for this.

With discontent lining her face, she stood and walked out of the cafeteria.

As Cinder walked through the halls of the dormitory, she couldn't help but hope her job ended soon. Something about Beacon bothered her, but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly. She did recognize, however, that the anxious feeling increased whenever she observed the students, together, going about their lives free of doubts and worries.

She shook her head, as if to set her mind straight. This was just another task, and though it was taking longer than most, nothing about it should warrant a different treatment. She would work with her colleagues, execute her part perfectly, and move on to the next job.

When she arrived at her room, she laid her hand on the doorknob, but it made a screaking noise and refused to turn. Assuming it was just rusty, she tried to open the door again, but it didn't budge. Mild annoyance showed as she gritted her teeth.

"Mercury. Emerald." She called evenly "You locked the door?"

They had made a strict arrangement to not do that, except when they were all in the room, plotting. Keeping themselves locked twenty-four hours would draw unwanted attention.

A minute passed, and no one opened the door for her.

"Mercury." Cinder raised her tone, letting her anger edge on her voice subtly.

As if on cue, a yelp sounded from inside the room.

"Mercury!" She heard Emerald whisper "Cinder's there!"

"Well…" The boy responded awkwardly "We're fucked."

Cinder narrowed her eyes and pushed at the door, forcing it open with brute strength. She strode inside the room and turned the lights on. Mercury was standing in the middle of it, his hair untidy, with both thumbs raised innocently. Behind him was Emerald, desperately trying to put on a shirt.

"You two were…" The raven-haired woman said "Start thinking of an excuse, a good one."

"…I was showing Mercury my battle scars?" Emerald suggested nervously.

Cinder stared at them fixedly.

"We were having sex." Mercury admitted, losing his composure under her examination.

"Thank you. At least you have the decency of being honest." She stated coldly "I hope I don't have to explain how… angry, I am about this."

"We're sorry, Cinder." Emerald muttered "This won't happen again."

"Good. We have a mission. You'll have time for enjoying each other after we finish it."

Mercury and Emerald shared looks of relief. They had expected a much worse reaction. Although Cinder was technically their colleague, she mostly felt their boss. A very strict, unforgiving boss.

"Moving past this incident…" Cinder spoke again "What have you found out about the redhead?"

"Pyrrha Nikos?" Emerald asked confusedly "We've already given you all we know about her."

"Not Nikos. I meant the one from yesterday; the redhead who slipped out of the dance and confronted me."

Emerald's face paled.

"We don't have anything on her yet." She said.

"Do you know her name, at least?" Cinder demanded.

"No." Mercury admitted "We were occupied."
He and his partner took a step back, preparing for the other's rage. Cinder stood still, looking at them with an undecipherable expression. After half a minute, she shook her head in defeat and turned towards the door.

"You know what?" She exclaimed "I'll leave you two alone. Have your fun. Clearly, I need to be far away for some time so you'll actually do something of use later."

"Cinder?" Emerald called dubiously.

The raven-haired woman had sounded very out of character in that moment. Never in the many years they had known each other had Emerald heard Cinder say anything with so much frustration. Maybe she was reading too much into the situation, but she even sounded hurt.

"I'll be at the campus." Cinder said "Do not come after me."

Then she walked past the doorway and left with heavy steps.

"That was weird." Emerald stated after a few seconds.

"She sounded really upset." Mercury agreed. A grin formed on his face "Maybe she wanted a threesome?"

"I will pretend I didn't hear that."

"Stupid Yang!"

Ruby kicked a rock across the school campus, grumbling under her breath. She wasn't really angry at her sister; she never truly was. But the previous night had left her confused and, in the absence of anyone else more experienced, she had expected Yang to offer some advice. She should have figured the blonde would just laugh at her discomfort.

She wondered briefly if Weiss would give any helpful input. After a moment of consideration, she came to the conclusion that the heiress would just express her outrage at the criminal's actions, and berate her for letting her guard down.

Blake would probably be her best resource, but the thought of having a talk about romance with her left Ruby with a sense of dread. She knew the faunus had an understanding of that topic, but maybe she would be frustrated by having to speak about it when she had more serious matter to think about. The last thing Ruby wanted was for Blake to treat her like an annoying child.

"Stupid criminal!" The redhead muttered bitterly.

What left her most confused wasn't the act itself, or why the stranger had done it… Ruby had to admit, to herself at least, that she hadn't exactly disliked the kiss. She wanted to chalk it up to her inexperience – maybe the woman was a terrible kisser but she didn't know any better – but she couldn't.

"Stupid… hormones!"

She closed her eyes angrily and shut her fists. She needed to control herself. A Huntress never let her emotions get to her head, in or out of the battlefield. If she let her current state build up, it would reflect badly on her grades, her combat efficiency, and even her friendships.

She resolved to go back to her room and forget about the matter entirely. If Yang made a joke about the kiss, she would retort with another. If Weiss or Blake said anything about it, she would answer appropriately, but not give them reason to worry. Time would solve her problem.

Before she could make her decision concrete, however, she slammed against someone and fell to the ground. Ruby opened her eyes and rubbed her head. In front of her was a raven-haired girl, on the ground too.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby yelled embarrassedly "Let me help you!"

Tapping into her Semblance, she darted up and neared the other girl, bringing her to her feet. The stranger blinked confusedly, then looked at her. Some emotion sparked in her eyes, but Ruby couldn't figure out what it was.

"Oh, I know you!" Ruby realized "You're an exchange student from Haven, right? I met you and your teammates when I bumped into you at a hallway."

"Yes. It seems you have the tendency of not looking where you're going."

Ruby lowered her head shamefully. The other girl inclined her head to the side and smiled tentatively.

"I'm sorry. I was just upset about the crash." She said "I wasn't taking care either. My thoughts were… elsewhere."

"Oh, okay. Do you need any help?" The redhead blurted out compulsively "My name is Ruby, by the way."

"…Cinder."

The girl from Haven seemed confused.

"Is there something wrong?" Ruby inquired worriedly "Maybe if you tell me, I can help."

"Oh- no, there's nothing wrong." Cinder stated, frowning "You are just so… so quick to offer help. I'm not used to that."

"Huh. My uncle taught me to always help people, even if they didn't ask for it." The redhead told "I think the majority of people don't do that, though, which is kind of sad."

"It is sad, indeed."

Cinder stared at her intently. Ruby gave her a tentative smile and joined her hands behind her back, feeling a bit disturbed by how attentive she was being.

"W-Well, I'll be going, then." Ruby said nervously "I'll see you around, I guess."

Cinder's eyes widened as the younger girl turned to leave.

"Wait!" She called.

Ruby gave her a confused look. Cinder frowned, realizing she had nothing to say to her. The word had just flied out of her mouth, unbidden. She reprimanded herself mentally for her lack of control.

"Do you need any help?" She finally said.

"Oh, no. I don't need anything." Ruby smiled "Thanks for asking, though!"

Cinder tapped one foot anxiously against the grass.

She can't leave. I need to find out more about her… So I can determine if she'll be a threat.

"Actually, I do need something." She lied "I was going to get a late lunch for myself, but… I'm afraid I don't have any money."

"But the cafeteria serves food free of charge." Ruby objected.

"Not to us. Since we're outsiders, we need to pay."

I'm digging myself into a hole. Cinder thought irritably. There's no way she'll believe that.

"Oh, okay. I'll take you to the cafeteria and get your lunch. Since I study here, they won't charge me." Ruby said proudly, as if she had had the brightest idea in history.

Or she will.

"Thank you." Cinder said, smiling without wanting to "You are very kind."

"Hey, that's what friends are for: helping each other."

"Here it is!" Ruby declared victoriously "Rice, beans, meat! Everything a Huntress needs to keep a healthy body and mind!"

She put the plate down in front of Cinder, who was sitting behind a table in the cafeteria. The raven-haired girl looked at the food and inclined her head to the side curiously as she noticed one particular item.

"Cookies?"

"You don't like cookies?" Ruby asked, as if the answer could change her whole perception on Cinder.

"I like cookies." Cinder assured, though she didn't particularly. It just seemed safer to answer positively "I was only wondering why you put them with the actual food."

"Hey! Cookies are very nutritious!"

In a blur, Ruby took one of the round cookies and stuffed it in her mouth, devouring it in a matter of seconds. After she was done, she sat down and mumbled a pleasant sound.

Cinder was surprised she didn't have to ask for Ruby to stay with her. She would have insisted she do that if she started to leave, but apparently the redhead was so friendly, Cinder would have no trouble at all obtaining information about her.

"So, Ruby…" She began innocently after taking a few bites of her meal "How old are you? You look much younger than everyone else at Beacon."

"I'm fifteen and three quarters, thank you." Ruby responded proudly "Two years younger than the age of entrance for this academy."

"Impressive." Cinder remarked "How come you're here so early?"

"I kicked some criminal's butts in the beginning of this year. They were stealing Dust from a defenseless shopkeeper. I was doing pretty well, but then this… mage woman showed up in a helicopter and gave me a hard time." Ruby said "Miss Goodwitch showed up and saved me. After that, headmaster Ozpin talked with me and offered an early spot at his school."

Cinder's fork stopped in the space between her plate and her mouth. How hadn't she remembered something so important? It wasn't every day that a scythe-wielding teenager girl thwarted her plans to steal Dust. She had met with Ruby two more times since then, and still hadn't recognized her.

"Cinder?" Ruby called worriedly "Something wrong?"

Cinder blinked and noticed she had been staring at the redhead with a blank expression. She coughed and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"I was just thinking about how powerful you must be to be blessed with this opportunity." She said.

"Well, I am great, but I have a lot to learn." Ruby murmured.

She had a slight blush on her cheeks. A lot of people had praised her in the past; Ozpin, some of her teachers, Yang, her father… But never someone so close to her age and whom she had no close relationship with.

"I'm the leader of my team, actually." She informed, feeling very bold now "Even my older sister is under my command! B-but they're all great! Yang's a very nice person. She's my sister. Weiss can be an ice queen at times, but she's a good friend. Blake's… oh, she's great!"

Cinder couldn't help but smile at her companion's excited words. She had a feeling Ruby meant each of her words with profound honesty.

"What about your teammates?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Emerald and Mercury?" Cinder focused on her food "They're capable."

"Capable?" The redhead repeated, much quieter now "You sound really lonely…"

"We're teammates. I don't need to be their friends; and, sincerely, I don't want to."

"Everybody needs friends!" Ruby refuted stubbornly.

Before Cinder could protest, she had risen to her feet. She had a sinking feeling in her chest, fearing Ruby was going to leave so suddenly.

"I'm going to get a plate full of cookies for us both." Ruby decided "You're going to have a good time, and then you'll notice having friends is not as bad as you think."

She darted away, leaving Cinder staring at the empty seat in front of her silently.

A threat. She thought bitterly.

Ruby appeared again, substituting Cinder's plate with another filled with cookies. She immediately took three and ate them in quick succession. Cinder stared in bewilderment, then jumped slightly when the younger girl burped.

"Oops." Ruby apologized "Take one!"

Hesitantly, Cinder reached forward and took one of the cookies, then risked a small bite. The taste was surprisingly good; she wondered if the kitchen staff made them themselves.

"See? They're great!" Ruby exclaimed "Now, how about yo-" Her speech was cut off by a burp.

This time, Ruby's cheeks turned a scarlet shade and she sunk in her seat, as if she wanted to disappear. Cinder stared, and after a few seconds of silence, started to laugh.

Mercury and Emerald woke up as soon as the door of their room opened. They shared a look of panic and covered themselves with a bed sheet, pretending to be asleep still.

"Hello, Mercury, Emerald." Cinder's voice reached them "Did you have a nice afternoon?" She giggled.

Emerald looked at her partner, eyes wide. Cinder had giggled.

"Come on, I know you two are awake." The raven-haired girl chimed as she lied down on her own bed "Are you too tired to talk? I expected that from Mercury, but not you, Emerald."

The pair's terror grew even more.

"Since you're so rude as to not ask me how my day was, I will answer of my own initiative." Cinder said "I had a wonderful, productive time investigating that mysterious redhead. Her name is Ruby Rose, and she is not a threat. Do not approach her."

She hummed a song under her breath as she took a magazine from her bag and began reading it.

Mercury leaned slowly towards Emerald's ear, and in the lowest tone possible, he whispered:

"We're dead."

Ruby whistled as she entered her room. She closed the door behind her and turned, only to find each one of her teammates staring at her from their respective beds. Her whistling slowly faded to silence.

"Did something happen?" She asked slowly "Is there lipstick on my cheek again?"

Weiss and Blake shared a look of intrigue. Their young leader's flustered feelings had turned to acceptance faster than expected. Yang took the joke a lot more seriously, falling to her feet and nearing her sister carefully.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked gently "The kiss?"

"Nope." Ruby looked at her as if she was being very silly "It was just a kiss."

She jumped to her bed and put on her headphones, immediately blasting her ears with music.

Yang looked at her other teammates in search of help. Blake smirked amusedly, then went back to reading a novel. Weiss glared at her coldly.

"You're her sister." She remarked "How am I supposed to understand that dolt better than you?"

Yang shook her head in defeat. She just had to begin acting like a normal teenager. Stupid hormones.

Holy (insert appropriate term here)!

This story already has 50+ follows and 25+ favorites, in one chapter! Either it's the Falling Petals appeal, or... I don't know, why did so many people like this so much? I mean, I'm really happy about this immediate success, but it is kinda bittersweet when I have a two months old, twenty chapters and ongoing story already surpassed by this.

Anyway, I don't want to sound ungrateful. I really appreciate all the support!

This is the part where I would answer the reviews, but... There were nine, and if I did, it would just be really repetitive. So thanks for the reviews, and to answer Kyub's question (though I already did in a PM), there will be one more ship aside from Falling Petals. Which? Oh, what a mystery. *everyone who read CoS shakes their heads slowly*

Cookie-sized thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited Falling Roses Burn Brighter!

-Zeroan